The Gore Gore Girls

Gore Gore Girls "Nightbreed"





Not to be confused with the more recent band called Gore Gore Girls, this Gore Gore Girls was the band of Ben Weasel and Jughead post-1st Screeching Weasel breakup. This is the only song that was ever released by them appearing on the "Mouthful of Moneky Bile" 7" compilation. It was later rerecorded appeared on the Screeching Weasel EP "Major Label Debut". Here is the original version ripped straight from my vinyl.

Gore Gore Girls - Nightbreed

A Kiss for Christmas

The Halflings





The Halflings, to the best of my knowledge, were a very short lived pop punk band. They received a bunch of hype when they first came out and their 7"'s were really hard to find, at least in my neck of the woods in Ft. Lauderdale. I think they had something to do with Teen Idols but I could be totally wrong. Anyways, they're somewhat similar to Teen Idols, Screeching Weasel, Mutant Pop Records, etc.

Here are both tracks off their Kiss for Christmas 7".

The Halflings - A Kiss for Christmas
The Halflings - You're The One For Me

A Not So Sunny Day in Dodge City

Everready "Never Walk Away"




Eeverready was gruff.. Gruff like Jawbreaker ala Unfun. "Never Walk Away" is off one of their earlier 7"'s released on Campground Records (who also released the likes of Jon Cougar Concentration Camp, another gruff band). They later went on to put out records and Mutant Pop, Liquid Meat and a bunch of other record labels. I'm horrible at writing these descriptions.

Everready - Never Walk Away

Weston

Weston "Just Like Kurt"




Weston has been writing catchy pop punk songs since 1990 and are still together and playing shows according to their Myspace page. They've had quite a history and have been on many labels, including majors, over the years. They've shared records with many bands including Bouncing Souls, Plow United and Digger. "Just Like Kurt" is off their first album A Real Life Story of Teenage Rebellion and is a classic.

Weston - Just Like Kurt

Those Guys Blew

Blew




Blew was a pop punk band from Japan. There were surprising a lot of pop punk bands from Japan in the mid-late 90's most of whom had their records released on Snuffy Smiles. I'm not sure if Snuff and Leatherface toured Japan or something but the Japanese punk rockers sure seemed to like them for some reason. Both these songs are off the Broken Rekids album "You're not the only one". If anything these songs are worth listening to for their piss poor English accents. Of course I don't know a bit of Japanese so who am I to judge their English but it's entertaining none the less.

Blew - Promises
Blew - Atmosphere

Man Dingo "Blue 60"

Man Dingo "Blue 60"




Off an album thats still available from Dr. Strange Records for $1 is Man Dingo's "Blue 60". To be honest, I really don't know a lot about Man Dingo except for the fact that I used to listen to Ifive all the time when I was 15 years old. They have passed into the dustbin of history of pop punk bands. I believe they may have shared members with Brown Lobster Tank but I could be wrong. The sound? Somewhere between Rhythm Collision and Sinkhole.

Man Dango - Blue 60

Laugh While You Can, Monkey Boy!

Sicko "The Juice is Loose"




Sicko is, was, and will probably always be, one of my favorite bands. Hailing from Seattle, which seems like an unusual place for a punk band being the alternagrunge movement at the time, Sicko had a unique brand of pop punk. They often strayed away from the stereotypical songs about girls persona that often plagues pop punk and seemed to pick unique subject matter (not that songs about girls are bad). If you had to pick a place for Sicko to sit they would probably be somewhere between Ramones, Beat Happening and The Fastbacks (oddly enough, a member of The Fastbacks produced a Sicko record).

"The Juice is Loose" is Sicko's ode to O.J. Simpson (and Juicy Fruit!). You could even call this one a timepiece as the album came out not too long after O.J. was being chased down the highway in a white SUV with choppers overhead.

Both songs appear on their 1995 sophomore album "Laugh While You Can, Monkey Boy"

Sicko - The Juice is Loose
Sicko - When to Quit

Wax "Who is Next"

Wax "Who is Next"

Remember Wax? For weeks, maybe months on end MTV played the hell out of their video for "California" and turned them into superstars overnight. The video was actually really cool... It was directed by Spike Jonze and featured a guy on fire running down a street in slow motion.

Due to the hype machine that was Wax many people ignored the album and the people that did buy it sold it back to the CD store once Wax wasn't cool anymore. This led to piles and piles of CD's in the dollar bin and a band sent into obscurity.

Some of the songs on said album, "13 Unlucky Numbers", were actually pretty good. In the same Ramones/Green Day vein that was norm of the day.

Here's the video:


and here's the song:
Wax - Who is Next?

The Potatomen

The Potatomen "That Girl"

The Potatomen were more a band known for who was in the band rather then their music. If Larry Livermore did not own the label, Lookout! would have probably never put out The Potatomen's music. Especially if you look at the other bands they were releasing at the time (Weasel, Avail, MTX,The Queers, etc) The Potatomen would have definitely been a hard sell with Larry Livermore's Morrisseyesque jangly pop tunes. The Potatomen were more straight pop then anything else. The Queers later went on to cover "That Girl" on their album "Move Back Home". While most people may know The Queers cover the original is a gem.

The Potatomen - That Girl
The Potatomen - Punk Rock Boy

The Crumbs

The Crumbs "Sheila"



Florida's beloved own, The Crumbs. Around since the mid 1990's and apparently still around today according to their website (which hasn't been updated in a year) The Crumbs brought the pop punk flavor through the streets of Miami. Early on they were inspired by the likes of Screeching Weasel, The Saints and Ramones. Towards the beginning of their Lookout! Records career they started shifting gears into the rock n' roll punk arena, however, we'll look past this as their pop punk records were brilliant. Originally drummer Chuck Loose, in addition to being one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet has also played numerous legendary Florida Punk Bands (like Drug Czars and Chickenhead).

"Sheila" is from the "Get Tangled up" ep released on Far Out Records around 1995. Far Out Records was owned and operated by Tim from Against All Authority. They released many records by notable Florida punk bands like Gus, Against All Authority, Beltones, Bingo Mutt, Discount, etc. Sadly, Far Out Records is nowhere to be found online.


The Crumbs circa 1995


The Crumbs - Sheila

Scared of Chaka

Scared of Chaka "Submarines"




Why bother to write when someone has already saved me the work.

From Wikipedia:


Scared Of Chaka were a punk rock band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico who formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist David Yanul Hernandez, bassist Dameon Waggoner, and drummer Jeff Jones who was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. The band played a Dickies inspired mix of garage and pop-punk, following in the footsteps of local Albuquerque act the Drags. The band released a number of full lengths, 7" EPs, and split records throughout their career for labels like 702 Records, Empty Records, Dirtnap Records and Hopeless spin off Sub City Records. With the release of 2001's Crossing with Switchblades the band called it quits.

Legacy

Following the break up of Scared of Chaka, Dave Hernandez formed Broadcast Oblivion in 2002 with Coady Willis (of Murder City Devils, Dead Low Tide and Big Business) and Andrew Church (of The Droo Church and The Supersuckers).

Hernandez had previously performed in projects with James Mercer, who went on to form popular indie rock act The Shins (Scared of Chaka also released a split 7" with the pre-Shins act Flake Music). An early incarnation of the Shins featured both Hernandez and Scared of Chaka drummer Ron Skrasek. Both left the band however to devote their attention back to Scared of Chaka. [1] Years later when Shins bassist Neal Langford left the group, Hernandez re-joined the Shins as a bassist. He now resides along with the rest of the band in Portland, Oregon.

Scared of Chaka's music was influential in the U.S. garage / punk rock scene. Current bands that have continued similar musical threads, such as the Riverboat Gamblers and Noise Noise Noise have cited Scared of Chaka as an influence.

--END Wikipedia.

Also, "Submarines" was covered by Flake Music (The Shins) on said split 7" mentioned above. So here it is:

Scared of Chaka - Submarines

Buck "Old Blue Sweater"

Cub... no, Buck.



Buck is the first post-Cub band of Lisa Marr. If you're not familiar with Cub/Lisa Marr you need look no further then They Might Be Giants who covered their song "New York City" or Sicko who covered "Little Star" (and if you're not familiar with Sicko, just keep checking back to this blog). How about "Magic 8 Ball" covered by Groovie Ghoulies? If thats not enough, Lisa Marr has also done back ups on more then a couple Queers songs throughout the years.

On one listen to Buck (or Cub) there is no mystery to why so many others have covered their songs. Lisa Marr and Co. can write a pop song like no other. Catchy hooks, jangly guitars and oh so sweet vocals will make you instantly fall in love.

Buck - Old Blue Sweater
Buck - In Another World

Sinkhole

Sinkhole "Never is Now"




Sinkhole has fell into the, well, Sinkhole of forgotten pop punk bands. They seem to take this in pride on their website boasting "One of Sinkhole's many claims to fame is the fact that we have never once been mp3'd by a person not in the band. There's a simple reason for that, and it's not uncrackable encryption. We call it 'uncryptable encraption', and it's an innovation we are not at liberty to share."

Sinkhole existed from 1992-1997 and graced the world with many records, most of which can be found in the dollar bin at your local record store if you dig deep enough.... Or if you can go straight to the source and buy their albums straight from the now defunct Ringing Ear Records who I imagine has some stockpiles of albums hanging around ready to sell (for pretty cheap too).

The sad part of all this is that Sinkhole was a really great band! Why they don't have a third of the acclaim of Screeching Weasel, or hell, even the Beatnik Termites is a mystery to anyone who has listened to them. Perhaps it was the fact they release records on Dr. Strange or perhaps it's just bad luck.


In any event, I have broke the 'uncryptable encraption' and took the liberty of ripping one of my favorite tracks from them.

Sinkhole - Never is Now

The Gain

The Gain "Ready Steady Smash"



Existing from 1992-1998, The Gain released a slew of 7"'s, a live 10" and an album. One of the more unique aspects of The Gain was their love for Mod Rock during a time where Mod was ancient history (i.e. before it's recent 3rd wave). Their Mod influence combined with modern pop sensibilities provided for some really great songs that have gone totally unappreciated. Their album "Ready Steady Smash" also happens to grace the title of this blog.

The Gain - Told You So
The Gain - Ready Steady Smash

Buglite

Buglite "Last Day of School"




Hailing from Philladelphia, Buglite was one of the more unique Mutant Pop bands. For starters they had this hippie theme going on which is usually the antithesis of punk rock but somehow they made it work for them. 1960's flower boy/girl cartoon art graced most of their 7" covers. To be honest i'm not sure what the hell they were thinking but they wrote some catchy songs. Before breaking up they recorded an album that was never released... They've posted some songs on their Myspace page.

Buglite - Last Day of School

Cringer

Cringer's Greatest Hits



Before J Church there was Cringer. Cleverly naming themselves after He-Man's companion and releasing a slew of records on different labels (noteably Lookout Records and Vinyl Communications) they rocked the East Bay Pop Punk scene ala early 90's (maybe even late 80's?).

Here are two tracks off their "Greatest Hits" compilation.

Cringer - Burn Down The Forest
Cringer - Pay To Play